Item #5390 The Mathematical and Philosophical works of the Right Reverend John Wilkins, ... Containing, I. A Discovery of a New World, or, A discourse tending to prove, that 'tis probable there may be another habitable world in the moon. With a discourse concerning the possibility of a passage thither. II. That 'tis probable our earth is one of the planets. III. Mercury: Or, The Secret and Swift Messenger. Shewing how a Man may with Privacy and Speed communicate his Thoughts to a Friend at any Distance. IV. Mathematical Magick: Or the Wonders that may be perform'd by Mechanical Geometry. V. An Abstract of his Essay towards a Real Character, and a Philosophical Language. To which is prefix'd the author's life, and an account of his works. John ASTRONOMY. SCIENCE FICTION. CRYPTOGRAPHY. Wilkins.
The Mathematical and Philosophical works of the Right Reverend John Wilkins, ... Containing, I. A Discovery of a New World, or, A discourse tending to prove, that 'tis probable there may be another habitable world in the moon. With a discourse concerning the possibility of a passage thither. II. That 'tis probable our earth is one of the planets. III. Mercury: Or, The Secret and Swift Messenger. Shewing how a Man may with Privacy and Speed communicate his Thoughts to a Friend at any Distance. IV. Mathematical Magick: Or the Wonders that may be perform'd by Mechanical Geometry. V. An Abstract of his Essay towards a Real Character, and a Philosophical Language. To which is prefix'd the author's life, and an account of his works.
The Mathematical and Philosophical works of the Right Reverend John Wilkins, ... Containing, I. A Discovery of a New World, or, A discourse tending to prove, that 'tis probable there may be another habitable world in the moon. With a discourse concerning the possibility of a passage thither. II. That 'tis probable our earth is one of the planets. III. Mercury: Or, The Secret and Swift Messenger. Shewing how a Man may with Privacy and Speed communicate his Thoughts to a Friend at any Distance. IV. Mathematical Magick: Or the Wonders that may be perform'd by Mechanical Geometry. V. An Abstract of his Essay towards a Real Character, and a Philosophical Language. To which is prefix'd the author's life, and an account of his works.
The Mathematical and Philosophical works of the Right Reverend John Wilkins, ... Containing, I. A Discovery of a New World, or, A discourse tending to prove, that 'tis probable there may be another habitable world in the moon. With a discourse concerning the possibility of a passage thither. II. That 'tis probable our earth is one of the planets. III. Mercury: Or, The Secret and Swift Messenger. Shewing how a Man may with Privacy and Speed communicate his Thoughts to a Friend at any Distance. IV. Mathematical Magick: Or the Wonders that may be perform'd by Mechanical Geometry. V. An Abstract of his Essay towards a Real Character, and a Philosophical Language. To which is prefix'd the author's life, and an account of his works.
The Mathematical and Philosophical works of the Right Reverend John Wilkins, ... Containing, I. A Discovery of a New World, or, A discourse tending to prove, that 'tis probable there may be another habitable world in the moon. With a discourse concerning the possibility of a passage thither. II. That 'tis probable our earth is one of the planets. III. Mercury: Or, The Secret and Swift Messenger. Shewing how a Man may with Privacy and Speed communicate his Thoughts to a Friend at any Distance. IV. Mathematical Magick: Or the Wonders that may be perform'd by Mechanical Geometry. V. An Abstract of his Essay towards a Real Character, and a Philosophical Language. To which is prefix'd the author's life, and an account of his works.
The Mathematical and Philosophical works of the Right Reverend John Wilkins, ... Containing, I. A Discovery of a New World, or, A discourse tending to prove, that 'tis probable there may be another habitable world in the moon. With a discourse concerning the possibility of a passage thither. II. That 'tis probable our earth is one of the planets. III. Mercury: Or, The Secret and Swift Messenger. Shewing how a Man may with Privacy and Speed communicate his Thoughts to a Friend at any Distance. IV. Mathematical Magick: Or the Wonders that may be perform'd by Mechanical Geometry. V. An Abstract of his Essay towards a Real Character, and a Philosophical Language. To which is prefix'd the author's life, and an account of his works.
The Mathematical and Philosophical works of the Right Reverend John Wilkins, ... Containing, I. A Discovery of a New World, or, A discourse tending to prove, that 'tis probable there may be another habitable world in the moon. With a discourse concerning the possibility of a passage thither. II. That 'tis probable our earth is one of the planets. III. Mercury: Or, The Secret and Swift Messenger. Shewing how a Man may with Privacy and Speed communicate his Thoughts to a Friend at any Distance. IV. Mathematical Magick: Or the Wonders that may be perform'd by Mechanical Geometry. V. An Abstract of his Essay towards a Real Character, and a Philosophical Language. To which is prefix'd the author's life, and an account of his works.
The Mathematical and Philosophical works of the Right Reverend John Wilkins, ... Containing, I. A Discovery of a New World, or, A discourse tending to prove, that 'tis probable there may be another habitable world in the moon. With a discourse concerning the possibility of a passage thither. II. That 'tis probable our earth is one of the planets. III. Mercury: Or, The Secret and Swift Messenger. Shewing how a Man may with Privacy and Speed communicate his Thoughts to a Friend at any Distance. IV. Mathematical Magick: Or the Wonders that may be perform'd by Mechanical Geometry. V. An Abstract of his Essay towards a Real Character, and a Philosophical Language. To which is prefix'd the author's life, and an account of his works.

The Mathematical and Philosophical works of the Right Reverend John Wilkins, ... Containing, I. A Discovery of a New World, or, A discourse tending to prove, that 'tis probable there may be another habitable world in the moon. With a discourse concerning the possibility of a passage thither. II. That 'tis probable our earth is one of the planets. III. Mercury: Or, The Secret and Swift Messenger. Shewing how a Man may with Privacy and Speed communicate his Thoughts to a Friend at any Distance. IV. Mathematical Magick: Or the Wonders that may be perform'd by Mechanical Geometry. V. An Abstract of his Essay towards a Real Character, and a Philosophical Language. To which is prefix'd the author's life, and an account of his works.

London: Printed for J. Nicholson; A. Bell; B. Tooke; and R Smith, 1708.

Price: $8,500.00

Large octavo: 19.3 x 12 cm. viii, [6], 274; [10], 90; [8], 184 pp. Five parts in one volume. Parts I-IV each with a separate title page dated 1707. Collation: A4, B-S8, T4; Aa-Rr8, Ss2, Tt8

FIRST COLLECTED EDITION.

Bound in original paneled calfskin (front hinge repaired), the boards ruled in blind and with floral ornaments (the Golden Fleece) in the spine compartments. A nice copy. Contents lightly toned and with sporadic mild foxing. Two closed tears (no loss) on lvs. M8 and Hh6. A few light stains.

John Wilkins (1614-1672), English scientist, was the first secretary and effective founder of the Royal Society. The weekly philosophical talks which Wilkins organized together with Robert Boyle from 1645 onwards were to form the nucleus of the Society, founded in 1662. Wilkins also served as Warden of Wadham, Master of Trinity and Bishop of Chester. He was a patron of learning and encourager of experimentation, whose protégés included Wren, Ward and Boyle.

“[Wilkins] two books 'Discovery' and 'Discourse' were written to make known and to defend the new astronomy of Copernicus, Kepler and Galileo.” (Kenney 208)

The "Discourse", first published in 1640, was the first work printed in England to espouse unequivocally the Copernican system of the universe in place of the Ptolemaic. Wilkins' work, more than any other, was responsible for the acceptance in England of the new astronomical learning. In the first part Wilkins attempts to "prove" that the moon is a solid, compact, opaque body, having no light of its own, with mountains, valleys, plains, lakes and seas (accounting for the lighter and darker areas as seen from the Earth), that it has an atmosphere, and that the Earth is its moon.

Wilkins also considers the possibility of life on the Moon and discusses at length (p. 156 ff.) the problem of traveling to the Moon by means of a "flying chariot" and the establishment of human colonies on the lunar surface. He deals with each of the main obstacles that would present themselves to the lunar traveler: the great distance to be traveled, the coldness of the air, and the problem of food and sleep. Despite these obstacles, Wilkins believes that it is probable that a future generation will create a flying machine capable of both terrestrial and space travel.

"The perfecting of such an invention would be of such excellent use, that it were enough not only to make a man famous, but the age also wherein he lives. For besides the strange discoveries that it might occasion in this other world, it would also be of inconceivable advantage for travelling, above any other conveyance that is now in use…. And how happy shall they be that are first successful in this attempt?

This compilation also includes Wilkins' "Mercury: Or, The Secret and Swift Messenger" in which his chief interest was cryptography. "But he also deals with cryptology or secret communication by speaking, either by involving the sense in metaphors and allegories or by changing old words or inventing new ones as is done by thieves, gypsies, and lovers; and with 'semiology,' that is communication by signs and gestures, as used for instance by deaf-mutes. Thus 'Mercury' is not merely a practical guide in the use and decoding of ciphers, but a broadly based discussion of the means of communication, or what today would be called semiotics." (DSB) The "Mercury" is here supplemented with a condensed version of Wilkins' other major linguistic/semiological work, "Essay towards a Real Character, and a Philosophical Language."

The "Mercury" is followed by Wilkins' "Mathematical Magic", a work "almost wholly devoted to the practical uses of mechanical devices with only enough theory to give the reader a sense of scientific initiation and understanding. The first part deals with the balance, lever, wheel, pulley, wedge, and screw, all illustrated with line-drawings and engravings. The second part treats of a miscellaneous collection of strange devices and possibilities, such as flying machines, moving and speaking statues, artificial spiders, the imitation of sounds made by birds and man, a land vehicle driven by sails, a submarine, Archimedes' screw and perpetual motion"(DSB).

ESTC (RLIN), T110678; cf. Gibson "Utopias", No. 788 Wellcome I 6742. Houzeau and Lancaster give this collected edition; Lowndes VII 2922; Kenney 208; DSB XIV 364

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